Afternoon tea really is the perfect meal for entertaining, and spring is the perfect time to have a tea party. There is something so undeniably delightful about tiered trays of goodies, an assortment of teas and beautiful scones. While afternoon tea is decidedly English, American tea parties can be nice, too. One vital component of an English afternoon tea is the scone. Traditionally, English scones look different from their American counterpart. Typically, English scones are taller and always served with jam and clotted cream.

Despite sharing the same name, American scones on the other hand, are much different. The ingredients are similar, but the method and shape vary. English scones are almost always round or use a scalloped edge cutter. American scones are often triangular and easier to make because they are formed together in a circle, then divided like a pizza. The flavor combinations of American scones can go in many directions. I absolutely love candied ginger, especially with lemon, and they really go well together in this scone. Once you master the base recipe, the combinations of flavors are endless. Dried cranberry scones with orange zest and almonds are delicious. Chocolate chip scones with walnuts are classic. The combination of white chocolate with freeze dried strawberries is outstanding! You really can’t go wrong. You can even go the savory route with cheese, herbs, garlic and seeds. Sometimes, English scones include raisins, sultanas or dried currants, but traditionally they are served plain so that the jam and clotted cream are the star. There is apparently quite a controversy over which goes on the scone first, the jam or the cream. 

If you’re hosting a bridal shower or a Mother’s Day brunch, these lemon ginger scones would be just the thing to serve your guests. To round out the menu, you could also serve macarons, cucumber sandwiches, mini fruit tarts and cupcakes. At a restaurant or hotel, afternoon tea is usually served on beautiful tiered trays, and you work your way up starting from the bottom. Traditionally, the bottom tier is reserved for savories like cucumber sandwiches, egg salad or curried chicken sandwiches. The middle tier holds the scones and their accompanying jams and clotted cream. The last stop is the top tier, which showcases the mini desserts. 

Lemon Ginger Scones With Lemon Glaze (Serves 8)

2 cups all purpose flour (10 ounces)

1 tablespoon baking powder

A pinch of salt

1/2 cup granulated sugar

5 tablespoons cold butter (cubed)

1 egg

3/4 cup heavy cream

1/3 cup diced candied ginger

Zest of 1 lemon

Lemon Glaze:

Juice of 1 lemon

1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. 
2. In a bowl, sift flour, baking powder and salt. Add sugar and the cubed butter. Using your hands or a pastry cutter, work in the butter to the dry ingredients by breaking it up as you mix. There should be some visible pieces of butter but none larger than a pea. It should not be super fine like sand. I have also had success grating the cold butter with a large hole of a box grater to achieve a uniform size. Just be sure that the butter is cold or even frozen before grating. Add in the mix-ins (lemon zest and diced candied ginger).
3. Next, add the wet ingredients to the dry. Add the beaten egg and the cream and stir until just combined. Then transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead it gently until a dough forms. 
4. On a large baking sheet lined with parchment, form the dough into a flat round about 3/4 of an inch thick. Using a knife, divide the dough like a pizza into 8 slices. Lightly separate the triangles so that they are not touching on the baking sheet. Optional: You can brush the scones with an egg wash or cream and sprinkle with crunchy baking sugar like Demerara. I like to add even more diced candied ginger on top and press them into the tops of the dough. Let them look like little jewels on top.
5. Bake for 9-10 minutes.
6. Allow to cool completely before icing.
7. To make the glaze, mix the juice of one lemon with the powdered sugar. Drizzle on in ribbons or glaze completely with a pastry brush.